Freshmen J.D. Walker (Grand Blanc, Mich. / Grand Blanc), Andrew Larson (Portland, Ore. / Jesuit) and the rest of the Caltech’s defensive corps held visiting California Lutheran University to three goals in Wednesday’s SCIAC men’s soccer match. The Beavers made some tactical adjustments coming off Saturday’s defeat to Chapman University that ultimately allowed the offense […]
Freshmen J.D. Walker (Grand Blanc, Mich. / Grand Blanc), Andrew Larson (Portland, Ore. / Jesuit) and the rest of the Caltech’s defensive corps held visiting California Lutheran University to three goals in Wednesday’s SCIAC men’s soccer match.
The Beavers made some tactical adjustments coming off Saturday’s defeat to Chapman University that ultimately allowed the offense to generate more pressure and for the defense to flourish in most spots against an experienced Kingsmen team (8-3-1, (6-2-1 SCIAC)).
“The team was set up to try and give us a little more going forward with two players up front to try and generate more shots on goal and this week we spent some time with dealing with the aerial threat from Cal Lutheran,” Head Coach Phil Murray said. “Overall I have no complaints with the application, diligence and sheer effort put forth by the lads. The team spirit is strong and they work hard for each other.”
The adjustments, in addition to the play of Walker on the edge and Larson in the middle allowed for freshman goalkeeper Joe Como (Glen Cove, N.Y. / Friends Acad.) to make a variety of different stops often times comfortably. He finished with a career-high 18 saves in the face of a strong Cal Lutheran attack and held the Kingsmen to just one goal at halftime. Typically a defender, freshman Alfred Joseph (Tellakom, India / Lexington) paired with freshman Rohan Mirchandani (Pleasanton, Calif. / Foothill) to account for the Beavers’ forward pair. Joseph responded with a team-high five shots, three of which found a path to the net. The Beavers’ other two shots on goal belonged to junior Tristan Nee (Carrollton, Texas / R.L. Turner) and freshman Charles Thut (Dover, N.H. / Berwick Acad.), who notably lasered a shot from 30-yards out that tested the Kingsmen’s keeper.
Murray and the Beavers will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 14 when they travel to the University of La Verne for a 5 p.m. game.
